A region is defined by its history, heritage, and culture. We in Green County believe we are unique and, I insist, it's because we are.
As a kid, I was somewhat confused when my aunt, Rosa Gruenewald, occasionally referred to Monroe's "Yankees." I later learned she was referring to migrants from New England who preceded European immigrants from Ireland, Norway, Germany, and, especially, Switzerland, who arrived in large numbers during the latter 19th century.
The Yankees arrived earlier, but it was the European immigrants who left their cultural mark on this region. While Green County hosts its unique ethnic celebrations, it shares a broader cultural tradition with much of the upper Midwest and, especially, the Great Lakes region - the polka.
Northern and eastern Europeans brought the polka to America. In working class industrial cities - Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Kenosha, Racine, Duluth, and in rural areas, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, polkas reigned supreme.
German, Polish, and Slovenian polkas have their distinguishing characteristics. But they have one thing in common - there is no such thing as a sad polka. It is happy, uplifting, energizing music.
In 1939, a Swiss immigrant, Rudy Burkhalter, and his wife, arrived in Madison. His day job was travel agent. But with war clouds hovering over Europe, and America already a decade into the Great Depression, "travel agent" was not a promising profession.
Rudy had studied music at the Basel School of Music in Switzerland, and had entertained with the Mohser Brothers in Switzerland, and in America at the Chicago World's Fair where he met his future wife. With that background, Rudy began teaching accordion around southern Wisconsin, including Monroe.
It was with Rudy Burkhalter that so many kids of this area were introduced to the accordion. I had no idea of the gift my parents were giving me by having me study with the maestro himself. But as youth is wasted on the young, I didn't continue and have regretted it ever since.
In addition to instruction, Rudy worked with, and performed with local artists including Martha Bernet, Betty Vetterli, the Edelweiss Stars, and many others.
One evening in the mid 1950s, Rudy got a phone call from Walt Disney Studios. Disney was going to bring Annette Funicello and the Mouseketeers to Wisconsin for a series on dairy farming in Wisconsin. Could Rudy compose an original song for the series?
Of course he could - and did. The familiar "Teach Me How to Yodel" is performed frequently at local performances featuring Swiss music.
About that time, one of Rudy's protégés, Roger Bright, went to Cleveland to perform with polka king Frankie Yankovic, who emphasized the Slovenian style. After a year, Roger returned to New Glarus to form his own band that became immensely popular. Among Roger's contributions was blending the Slovenian style polka with Swiss yodeling, a style performed by local artists, the Zweifel Brothers, and Greg Anderson.
Talented polka bands with familiar names too numerous to mention are accompanied by "side men" on instruments including banjo, bass, guitar, drums, and various wind instruments. In discussing sidemen, I would be remiss without acknowledging the late Karl Gmur of New Glarus, who played bass on many of Roger Bright's recordings.
A group of these sidemen have formed their own group, billed as "The Musicians Behind the Bands You Love." They recently collaborated on a CD entitled, "Busting Out." This CD was awarded "Best New Band" from the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. Each member has been invited into the Polka Hall of Fame for Milwaukee and Cleveland, along with many other awards.
We have a unique opportunity to hear them in person on April 25-26 at the New Glarus Hotel, a venue operated by another well-known Swiss immigrant, Hans Lenslinger.
This talented group includes my friend and neighbor, Monroe's own Gary Hendrickson. Gary can be seen sitting on his front porch on summer evenings working up improvisations on his guitar and banjo.
Gary began banjo lessons 25 years ago with Ron Sluga of Cleveland. He has performed with his own band, the "Gate Crashers." He has recorded with Verne and Steve Meisner, Greg Anderson, and many others. Gary currently performs at Monroe's Turner Hall with the Zweifel Brothers. His talented wife, Jennifer, is featured vocalist on some of Roger Bright's recordings.
Gary tells me that he owes his entre to the polka world through drummer and yodeler, Bill Gempeler, who performed with Roger Bright. Gary also performs with David Austin, another talented accordionist and protégé of Roger Bright.
Although Gary practices long hours, I insist that his talent is genetically inherited from his artistic mother, Gloria, who has long been prominent with the Monroe Theater Guild.
Eric Noltkamper is an accomplished musician from Cleveland who began accordion lessons at age 13. By age 15 he was already playing banjo with Yankovic. He has performed and recorded with Eddie Blazoncyzk, the Meisners, Jeff Winard, Grant Kozera, and many others.
Chris Doszak, son of another musician, played with his father's band. He has performed with Yankovic, the Meisners, and many others. He currently performs with the Main Street International Polka Band.
Don Hunjadi grew up with polka music and began playing bass at age 16. He has been involved in numerous recordings of all musical styles. He is on nearly 50 polka releases of over 25 different bands.
Milwaukee's Tom Brusky started his musical career at age 11, playing drums. At age 16 he began playing polkas. He is also accomplished on piano, bass, guitar, and tuba. He performs at venues including Monroe's Turner Hall and the New Glarus Hotel.
April 25-26, New Glarus Hotel, is a unique opportunity to celebrate our local culture with great music performed by talented musicians.
My talented accordion-playing partner, Bobbie Edler, and I already have our reservations for Saturday. It promises to be a great time at a terrific venue.
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
As a kid, I was somewhat confused when my aunt, Rosa Gruenewald, occasionally referred to Monroe's "Yankees." I later learned she was referring to migrants from New England who preceded European immigrants from Ireland, Norway, Germany, and, especially, Switzerland, who arrived in large numbers during the latter 19th century.
The Yankees arrived earlier, but it was the European immigrants who left their cultural mark on this region. While Green County hosts its unique ethnic celebrations, it shares a broader cultural tradition with much of the upper Midwest and, especially, the Great Lakes region - the polka.
Northern and eastern Europeans brought the polka to America. In working class industrial cities - Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Kenosha, Racine, Duluth, and in rural areas, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, polkas reigned supreme.
German, Polish, and Slovenian polkas have their distinguishing characteristics. But they have one thing in common - there is no such thing as a sad polka. It is happy, uplifting, energizing music.
In 1939, a Swiss immigrant, Rudy Burkhalter, and his wife, arrived in Madison. His day job was travel agent. But with war clouds hovering over Europe, and America already a decade into the Great Depression, "travel agent" was not a promising profession.
Rudy had studied music at the Basel School of Music in Switzerland, and had entertained with the Mohser Brothers in Switzerland, and in America at the Chicago World's Fair where he met his future wife. With that background, Rudy began teaching accordion around southern Wisconsin, including Monroe.
It was with Rudy Burkhalter that so many kids of this area were introduced to the accordion. I had no idea of the gift my parents were giving me by having me study with the maestro himself. But as youth is wasted on the young, I didn't continue and have regretted it ever since.
In addition to instruction, Rudy worked with, and performed with local artists including Martha Bernet, Betty Vetterli, the Edelweiss Stars, and many others.
One evening in the mid 1950s, Rudy got a phone call from Walt Disney Studios. Disney was going to bring Annette Funicello and the Mouseketeers to Wisconsin for a series on dairy farming in Wisconsin. Could Rudy compose an original song for the series?
Of course he could - and did. The familiar "Teach Me How to Yodel" is performed frequently at local performances featuring Swiss music.
About that time, one of Rudy's protégés, Roger Bright, went to Cleveland to perform with polka king Frankie Yankovic, who emphasized the Slovenian style. After a year, Roger returned to New Glarus to form his own band that became immensely popular. Among Roger's contributions was blending the Slovenian style polka with Swiss yodeling, a style performed by local artists, the Zweifel Brothers, and Greg Anderson.
Talented polka bands with familiar names too numerous to mention are accompanied by "side men" on instruments including banjo, bass, guitar, drums, and various wind instruments. In discussing sidemen, I would be remiss without acknowledging the late Karl Gmur of New Glarus, who played bass on many of Roger Bright's recordings.
A group of these sidemen have formed their own group, billed as "The Musicians Behind the Bands You Love." They recently collaborated on a CD entitled, "Busting Out." This CD was awarded "Best New Band" from the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. Each member has been invited into the Polka Hall of Fame for Milwaukee and Cleveland, along with many other awards.
We have a unique opportunity to hear them in person on April 25-26 at the New Glarus Hotel, a venue operated by another well-known Swiss immigrant, Hans Lenslinger.
This talented group includes my friend and neighbor, Monroe's own Gary Hendrickson. Gary can be seen sitting on his front porch on summer evenings working up improvisations on his guitar and banjo.
Gary began banjo lessons 25 years ago with Ron Sluga of Cleveland. He has performed with his own band, the "Gate Crashers." He has recorded with Verne and Steve Meisner, Greg Anderson, and many others. Gary currently performs at Monroe's Turner Hall with the Zweifel Brothers. His talented wife, Jennifer, is featured vocalist on some of Roger Bright's recordings.
Gary tells me that he owes his entre to the polka world through drummer and yodeler, Bill Gempeler, who performed with Roger Bright. Gary also performs with David Austin, another talented accordionist and protégé of Roger Bright.
Although Gary practices long hours, I insist that his talent is genetically inherited from his artistic mother, Gloria, who has long been prominent with the Monroe Theater Guild.
Eric Noltkamper is an accomplished musician from Cleveland who began accordion lessons at age 13. By age 15 he was already playing banjo with Yankovic. He has performed and recorded with Eddie Blazoncyzk, the Meisners, Jeff Winard, Grant Kozera, and many others.
Chris Doszak, son of another musician, played with his father's band. He has performed with Yankovic, the Meisners, and many others. He currently performs with the Main Street International Polka Band.
Don Hunjadi grew up with polka music and began playing bass at age 16. He has been involved in numerous recordings of all musical styles. He is on nearly 50 polka releases of over 25 different bands.
Milwaukee's Tom Brusky started his musical career at age 11, playing drums. At age 16 he began playing polkas. He is also accomplished on piano, bass, guitar, and tuba. He performs at venues including Monroe's Turner Hall and the New Glarus Hotel.
April 25-26, New Glarus Hotel, is a unique opportunity to celebrate our local culture with great music performed by talented musicians.
My talented accordion-playing partner, Bobbie Edler, and I already have our reservations for Saturday. It promises to be a great time at a terrific venue.
- John Waelti's column appears every Friday in the Times. He can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net.
